Style-wise, Decadence stand at the cross roads where Swedish melodic death metal meets your favorite thrash legends from either side of the pond. Such a position allows them considerable flexibility when it comes to creating music that fits their own self styled brand of "melodic thrash metal." On this new Chargepoint, the quartet, composed of a growly chick behind the mic and three rugged backing musicans, take a shot at lasting greatness with eight (rather short you might say) new tunes that add no small amount of epic flourishes to their usually harsh repertoire.
Already in fighting mode right at the very beginnning, album opener "Discharge" pounds away at the listener's expectation for the retrogressive old school approach metalheads have come to expect in the wake of Toxic Holocaust, Evile, and Hatchet. There's no trace of 'old school' in Decadence's latest even if they profess to worship at the altar occupied by Metallica, Kreator, and Testament. Instead the listener is treated to the familiar melodic harshness refined in the Bay Area mixed with the appeal of your favorite In Flames, The Haunted, and, even if they aren't Swedish, Mercenary.
Though Chargepoint does prove quite the predictable beast past the first couple of songs, there are a few standouts that still make this a worthwhile release, namely the speed metal extravaganza that's "Strength of Mind" and the surprisingly fluid "Point of No Return." Further gratification can be found on the muscular "Challenge" and its relentless predecesor "Fast Forward," but once the less-than-aggressive theme of "Be Home When I'm Gone" kicks off with the accompanying savage music, the album loses eventually steam toward its end. As a final consolation, a thoughtful instrumental closing track draws the curtains on this glittering gem of a release lest the joyride drags and gets redundant.
Though Decadence might initially be doomed to join the ranks of the chick fronted metal league, only time wil tell if this band will rise above the stereotype and proceed to dominate. Thankfully, Chargepoint is a step in the right direction.
Track Listing
1. Discharge
2. Silent Weapon (For A Quiet War)
3. Out of Ashes
4. Point of No Return
5. Strength of Mind
6. Fast Forward
7. Challenge
8. Be Home When I'm Gone
9. The Demons Run (Instrumental)
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